Method and apparatus for smart toilet minimizing water usage

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method or a toilet which minimizes water usage and can handle urine and fecal matter. An ultrasonic vibration unit is disposed to clean at least one fecal plate which is rotated into a lower part of a toilet bowl. Occasional and periodic flushing of solid fecal matter results in less water usage than utilizing water flushing for cleaning and carrying away of solid fecal matter.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to waterless urinals.

This invention relates to waterless toilets.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In a world with resources limited relative to world population, decreasing the use of water for flushing of fecal matter is an area of plumbing improvement which recommends itself. With a population which is becoming increasingly urbanized, potentially 6 billion flushes per day, at one gallon of water per flush, derated to a third, leaves 2 billion gallons of potential water saving.

Utilizing a bell trap with n oil-type odor-trap fluid, waterless urinals have been successfully implemented, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,711,037 (Reichardt, et al., 1998), 7,111,332 (Hsia, 2006). 8,234,723 (Allen, 2012), and 8,291,522 (Kueng, 2012).

Utilizing a recirculating pump, Roberts (U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,139, 1980) implemented a waterless flush toilet. This was not limited to, but noted for, buses.

A combined flush toilet and waterless urinal was shown by Abney (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2004/0098799, 2004). It utilized a waterless urinal in one bowl and a separate bowl for a flush toilet, combined as one unit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention, in a preferred mode, utilizes a movable fecal plate where the moveable fecal plate moves past a fixed waterless urinal capsule, with a cleaner unit which cleans the fecal carrier plate.

The cleaner unit is preferably an ultrasonic cleaner unit which applies high-frequency vibration to the fecal plate while the fecal plate is submerged in a water or flushing-fluid which is typically of lower specific gravity (i.e., density) of water.

The fecal plate may be formed as a single plate or as an array of rotating plates on an axis.

The may be operated by a foot-pedal mechanical linkage or by electrical motor means.

The main cleaning function for fecal matter depends on an ultrasonic vibrator. The aim of this functionality is to conserve water, with only occasional and periodic flushing required, to remove solid waste build-up only; the main cleaning per fecal deposit being done by the ultrasonic vibrator cleaning unit.

The same type of lighter-than-water urinal odor trap oil/fluid may also be kept as a sealant over the water in the main toilet bowl.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary arrangement of the fecal plate disposed in a rotary fashion, with a fixed bell-trap waterless urinal arrangement;

(Prior Art) FIG. 2 shows a more detailed view of a fixed bell-trap waterless urinal;

FIG. 3 shows the fecal plate schematically, with a cut-out for the fixed waterless urinal;

FIG. 4 shows an exploded view of a fecal plate for the rotary arrangement, with an upper surface disposed to act as a fecal collector and a lower surface disposed to conform to the inner shape of the toilet bowl;

FIG. 5 shows schematically a foot pedal operation which acts to rotate a next fecal plate into position while it lowers a fecal plate into the water in the lower part of the toilet bowl where it is subject to cleaning by the vibrations of the ultrasonic cleaner unit;

FIG. 6 shows a connection to a supply and waste water system for periodic, occasional flushing of accumulated solid wastes;

FIG. 7 shows an ultrasonic vibration cleaning unit and the back covering for the toilet bowl-rotary fecal plate unit; and

FIG. 8 shows a level for a lighter-than water oil/fluid odor trap substance as it floats on the main body of water contained in the lower part of the toilet bowl.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE BEST MODES

The following description is of the best mode presently contemplated for carrying out the invention. This description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is merely made for the purpose of describing the general principles of the invention. The scope of the invention should be determined with reference to the claims.

FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of the toilet bowl 10 together with a fixed waterless urinal 40 and the rotating fecal plates 30, with a cut-out 20 for the fixed waterless urinal 40. An axis of rotation 50 for the rotating fecal plates 30 is shown. The axis of rotation 50 can thus be driven by mechanical or electrical means, and can be synchronized with any co-ordinate sealing operation or mechanism, which operates to seal the fecal plate to the fixed waterless urinal.

FIG. 2 (prior art) shows an exemplary fixed waterless urinal 40, here in a bell trap of square shape. There I an upper surface 45 and a volume of lighter-than-water oil/fluid 41 which floats on a volume of water 42 which is limited by a lip 43, and which empties into an interior exiting pipe 44 which connects to the waste water system (not shown).

FIG. 3 shows a fecal plate 30, schematically, with a cut-out 20 to allow it to accommodate the fixed waterless urinal structure. An axis 50 for rotating the fecal plate is shown. The invention is not limited to four fecal plates; for example, three or two plates could be rotated around instead of four fecal plates. A single fecal plate could also be used; it does not have to rotate around but could drop down into a position to be cleaned and after a sufficient interval, readily determined by the effectiveness of the ultrasonic vibration cleaning unit, it could be returned into its starting position.

FIG. 4 depicts the contours 31, 32, of a fecal plate 30 that is rotated from an upward position with a curved inner surface 32 to match the inside contours of the toilet bowl (FIG. 1, 10). The side 31 of the fecal plate 30 disposed to receive feces is contoured to urge the flow of urine toward the fixed waterless urinal unit (FIG. 1, 40).

FIG. 5 shows a schematic arrangement for a (manual) foot-operated approach to rotate, i.e., equivalent to ‘flushing’ the toilet, the fecal plate(s). A foot pedal and lever 51 acts though a cranking arm 52 to engage a protrusion 53 on the rotation axis 50 which has attached at least one fecal plate 30 which gets rotated from a first position to a second position. This motion can also urge a sliding cover 54 to slide away while the fecal plate 30 is rotating and engages again to securely cover the lower part (FIG. 8, 90) of the toilet bowl FIGS. 1 and 8, 10) by engaging the fecal plate 30 and the fixed waterless urinal unit (FIG. 1, 40). It will be appreciated that these types of mechanisms are well understood in the mechanical arts and can be implemented by electrical and electro-magnetic means an small motors, a is well understood in these arts.

It should be noted that the mechanisms herein can be implemented by manual means, e.g., periodic, occasional flushing of accumulated fecal matter, by turning or operating a valve. This and other functions can be implemented by mechanical or electrical timers.

Similarly, although it is illustrated that the fecal plate 30 is deliberately rotated into a cleaning position, yet, as understood in the arts, sensors, optical or weight-driven can initiate the rotation of a fecal plate 30 into a cleaning position, as fecal matter is detected accumulating of the fecal plate 30, with some specified time delay.

FIG. 6 illustrates the a supply water source, via a valve 62, is allowed to flush the accumulated solid fecal matter from the toilet bowl 10 which has accumulated in a small holding pipe 60, out to a waste water system through a usual p-trap 61 (or similar).

FIG. 7 illustrates the use of an ultrasonic vibration cleaning unit 80. The unit is based on a piezo-electric crystal which can vibrate at ultrasonic frequencies. These vibrations are disposed to impinge on the fecal plate which has been rotated down into the lower part of the toilet bowl 10; the fecal plate is consequently rapidly cleaned.

FIG. 8 shows the lower part of the toilet bowl 10 with a level 90 of lighter-than-water oil/fluid and a lower level of water. If the level of water is deep enough, and a number of screen-type baffles are utilized, the floating lighter-than-water oil/fluid will not be entrained when the small holding pipe (FIG. 6, 60) is flushed, because the downward vertical velocity will be minimized.

A variety of materials can be used in the construction of the different modes of the invention. A primary candidate for the fecal plates is teflon coated metal.

Although the present invention and its advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. 

It is claimed that:
 1. A toilet minimizing water usage, comprising: a toilet bowl with an upper and lower part; a fixed waterless urinal unit; at least one fecal plate disposed to receive feces; a mechanism to rotate the fecal plate into water in the lower part of the toilet bowl; an ultrasonic vibration cleaner disposed to clean the fecal plate when the fecal plate is disposed in the lower part of the toilet bowl; a holding pipe; a connection to a supply water system and a waste water system, for periodic, occasional washout of accumulated solid matter in the holding pipe.
 2. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising: a mechanical system of levers and gears to operate the rotation of the at least one fecal plate into the lower part of the toilet bowl.
 3. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising: a gravity-operated switch wherein the accumulated weight of fecal matter operates the switch and disposes the fecal plate to rotate down to the lower part of the toilet bowl
 4. The toilet of claim 1, further comprising: an optical sensor wherein the accumulation of fecal matter disposes the optical sensor to operate a switch and disposes the fecal plate to rotate down to the lower part of the toilet bowl.
 5. The toilet of claim 1 wherein the fecal plate comprises Teflon on metal.
 6. A method for making a toilet which minimizes water usage, comprising: utilizing a toilet bowl with an upper and lower part; incorporating a fixed waterless urinal unit; having at least one fecal plate disposed to receive feces; rotating the fecal plate into water in the lower part of the toilet bowl by a mechanism; cleaning the fecal plate by utilizing an ultrasonic vibration cleaner when the fecal plate is disposed in the lower part of the toilet bowl; collecting solid fecal matter in a holding pipe; washing out periodically and occasionally accumulated solid fecal matter by valve connected to a supply water system and a connection to a waste water system,
 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising: operating the rotation of the at least one fecal plate into the lower part of the toilet bowl by a mechanical system of levers and gears.
 8. The method of claim 6, further comprising: rotating the fecal plate to a lower part of the toilet bowl by a gravity-operated switch wherein the accumulated weight of fecal matter operates the switch.
 9. The method of claim 6, further comprising: utilizing an optical sensor wherein the accumulation of fecal matter disposes the optical sensor to operate a switch and disposes the fecal plate to rotate down to the lower part of the toilet bowl. 